It is "go
time" for movie watching. The Golden Globes are over and the awards have
been handed out and the Oscar nominations are out. It is awards show season! I
get excited this time of year, as I also like to celebrate the year's best
movies. I have already seen a number of them and as in years past I will
attempt to see more of them, as many as possible before the show.
I will review my
favorite elements of some of the top contenders. I usually do this in separate
articles for each movie, but this time around I will size them up right here
and now.
So far, of the
movies I have seen, The
Imitation Game is my favorite. The movie is intriguing and suspenseful.
While it is not violent or dangerous in the way that many suspenseful movies
are, there is a lot at stake in this story. The acting is strong and the
directing solid. This movie is a serious contender. I give it an A-.
I greatly enjoyed Selma as this movie was like
seeing history come to life on the big screen. I studied the Civil Rights
Movement quite a bit as a political science student and I am greatly interested
in the pivotal time period in one of the most pressing storylines in the history
of this nation. The story and directing were solid and the acting was strong.
This is a moving film and I give it an A.
Birdman saw some
success with the Golden Globes and a number of noms for the Oscars. It is a
strong movie, however I never got to the point where I cared what was going to
happen to the main character. I felt as though the plot was just circling
around until ultimate demise. Although I have warmed to this movie over time,
the most noteworthy accomplishment of this movie is the performance by Edward
Norton in a supporting character role. He would definitely be deserving of an
award. This movie earns a B.
Whiplash also showcases some
superb supporting actor juice. Actually, I wasn't sure who I like better in the supporting
roles, Norton or J.K. Simmons. However the more I thought about it the more I
realized that Simmons turned in a superior performance. There is so much
intensity in this movie, you can feel it dripping down the screen. I give this
movie an A-.
There has been quite
a bit of buzz and awards handed out for Boyhood. I was
very interested in seeing what all the fuss is about. This movie illustrates an
interesting concept, documenting a boy's life from early school age to
embarking on life outside the nest at college. The movie is charming and warm
despite the many moments when the mother is at her whit's end or fleeing a
disastrous life decision. I think this film is deserving of at least one Oscar
(definitely not the best picture in my book) for Patricia Arquette's best
supporting actress role. She did a great job portraying a life full of layers
and struggles.
There are still a
few movies left on my 'must see' list and I'm working to get to the theaters
before they're gone. Included on that list is American Sniper and Wild. Plus, a
fun addition to all of the oscar movie watching madness is the marathon of short
films at my local arts cinema. They play the action shorts and animated shorts
which is fun because these are films I wouldn't have otherwise had the chance
to see since they are not in typical theaters.
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